Serendipity
by XavierForest
Summary: They don't remember my betrayal, so I guess I should be glad. They were going to die, but I changed that and had their memories of me erased instead. I should say that it's just more of my bad luck to have met them again after all these years, but... my sinful heart… is telling me that it's the opposite. Too bad I'm Noah's dog - demon!KandaXhuman!Allen Yullen AU
1. Prologue

Prologue

 _Allen Walker_

" _ **Traitor**_ _."_

 _That word stabbed through me like a knife, equally as painful, but leaving no blood or trace of a wound._

 _No… I think a knife wouldn't have hurt this bad. I could have taken that... but this… it hurt too much._

 _And those eyes, those wondrous blue eyes stared at me with such loathing that it was hard to breathe._

 _They showed me their feelings of betrayal, disbelief, hatred, and just how much they wanted me dead._

" _Allen~"_

 _I turned at the sound of my name, now facing my new family, ignoring the daggers glared at my back._

 _My new 'family' smiled at me, the sight doing nothing to stop the pain. If anything, it just made me feel terribly cold and alone._

" _We'll be beginning shortly. Is there anything you want to say?"_

 _I shook my head. Nothing I said would make this any better. It wasn't like they'd remember it, anyway._

" _ **YOU FILTHY TRAITOR**_ _!"_

 _I didn't flinch. I didn't look back._

 _But my heart broke._


	2. Chapter 1 - Doll

Doll

 _Allen Walker_

"Allen!" Sheryl stomped over to me, snatching the box of blueprints from my grasp. "I ordered these _ten minutes_ ago! What took you so long?!" He screamed at me with a glare.

I stared at him numbly for a second, unable to understand what I'd done wrong. "I'm sorry, sir," I mechanically apologised. It must have been my performance; I'd have to work on that.

"I don't want an apology!" With that, the man stormed off angrily towards his desk.

Ever since he'd become the president of one of the Earls' private resort chains, the man's unpleasant personality had taken a turn for the worst.

But thinking about those kinds of things wasn't my job, so I let it end there.

My next task of the day was to retrieve Tyki's cigarettes from the lounge and take them to his room.

As I hurried along, I caught sight of my reflection in one of the mansion's many mirrors.

My white hair had been tied low using the red ribbon that had once been used as a substitute for a tie in my younger years. Aside from that and my scar, everything else about me was devoid of colour. From my blank grey eyes to my sickly pale complexion, I looked like someone from one of those black-and-white films. Even my clothes fit in with that kind of scenario.

But this was what I'd been ordered to wear, so that was fine.

It had been years since I'd last done something without being ordered to, even if they were simple things like bathroom breaks or eating; everything I did, everything I said, it was all on Noah's order.

Speaking of orders, a lone pack of cigarettes sat on the large leather couch by the fireplace, reminding me of my current one.

Now all that was left was to return them to Tyki.

I was within ten metres of door when a girl ran from his bedroom, barely clothed, teary-eyed and sobbing.

I, of course, didn't give her a second thought, continuing on. It wasn't my job to worry about such things, after all.

Tyki smirked up at me when I entered, still in bed with black silken sheets wrapped around his lower body. "Shounen~"

"Yes, Tyki?"

"It seems my little lover ran away; find me a new one, would you?" He asked of me, climbing out of bed. The sheets slid from him as he did so, exposing more of his darkened umber flesh than I once would have cared to see.

Not batting an eye at his nakedness, I nodded, more out of routine than anything else. "Yes, Tyki."

He held out his hand, motioning me over with a slender finger. I moved to his side without even a split second of delay, holding up his cigarettes. "Ah, you found them!" He took them from me, fingers brushing against my own, and he gave me a lustful look. "You know, if you ever find yourself needing a bed partner, I'd be more than happy to offer you my services."

"That's not in my contract," I droned, having had this conversation with the man more times than I could count.

He chuckled, taking a cigarette from the pack. "Oh well, you're not my type, anyway. I like my toys with a little more… zeal."

When he riffled through the drawer for his lighter, I took that as my cue to leave, silently turning on my heel and heading out the way I'd came.

"Oh, and Shounen?"

I paused at the door, turning back to give the man my full attention; Noah hated when they were given anything else.

"We'll be leaving for the new office tomorrow. The Earl's requested that you'll join us," Tyki informed me, lighting the end of his cancer stick without looking.

I nodded to show him that I understood, waiting a second longer to see if there was anything else he had to say. "Will that be all?"

He grinned at me, an unnerving sight that I had long since grown used to. "Yes, that will be all, Shounen."

Bowing from the wait, I held that position for another few second, before straightening and leaving, closing the door behind myself.

"And be sure to pack your bags!"

As that order registered in my mind, I nodded to myself, leaving in search of my room. If he hadn't ordered it of me, I would have gone with nothing but the clothes on my back.

We'd moved once before and that had happened. That was when Noah had learnt just how much I relied on their orders. Without orders, I couldn't function.

Because what they'd turned me in to was little better than a doll.

And a doll without a master to pull its strings was useless.

|I|I|

 _You people do not know how upset I was writing this. I've always given Allen a bad backstory, but turning him into a THAT almost made me cry. The fact that I've had WAY too much sugar and could probably do with some sleep isn't helping._

 _Sorry if it's a tad on the short side. The chapters will get a little bigger, I promise._


	3. Chapter 2 - Seven Years

Seven Years

 _Yu Kanda_

I tapped my foot impatiently on the pavement outside of the restaurant where we'd all agreed to meet, then tugged at the collar of the stuffy suit I'd been told to wear. It was navy blue; courtesy of Lenalee and her colour-coordinated fashion sense. Just because my hair was that colour _didn't_ mean my suit automatically had to be, too.

I pushed up the left sleave to check the time, glaring at the numbers on the miniaturised clock face.

This meeting would be one of the most important we'd ever had. It was the one where we'd discuss our main competitor, the Noah clan, and how to proceed with our own clan's development.

There was currently an unspoken agreement between our clans that said neither of us were allowed to touch either medical and weaponry related enterprises, but the rapid growth of their territory over the past several years had become a major concern as of late.

Before then, sure, we'd had a skirmish or two here and there, but now? We were being completely ignored. Everything just all suddenly stopped without a single warning.

Aside from being a massive blow to our clan's pride, many individual members were glad to have the little turf war over.

Well, at least up until the Noah clan began to expand. The rate of expansion went far too quickly, their territory growing, the clan snatching up everything in their wake and buying the land straight out from under the humans. That was how Noah now owned fucking _Portugal_ , of all places.

Not that it mattered what country it was, but that in itself posed a huge problem for us.

From the intel we'd received, it seemed they were doing everything humanly legal, and if they weren't, it was impossible to tell. What made it even worse was how those damned humans didn't notice a thing. You'd think they would, too, considering how far Noah had begun to sink their claws into both the European and Asian economy, but they'd somehow still remained oblivious. I didn't think the species was completely stupid, though, so the possibility of Noah having someone up high in the government or one of them possessing a special skill that made this all possible wasn't as farfetched as we'd like to imagine.

And so, to make matters even worse, Lavi, the stupid idiot that he is, had yet to arrive for the clan meeting.

A clan meeting that had started well over half an hour ago.

A clan meeting where most of its members were lounging around, gorging themselves on _seafood_ , because why the fuck not?

I, in all honesty, had half a mind to ignore my orders and storm Noah myself. It wasn't like they'd try to stop me.

"Is that Yu-chan I see?"

Just hearing Lavi's voice made me want to punch a brick wall, even more so knowing what time it was. "You're late."

Lavi walked right on up to me, a spring in his step, usual grin on his face, green-scaled bandana looking stupid with his suit. "Can't a guy be fashionably late?"

I heard my knuckled crack as my fists clenched. "Get inside before I cut your imaginary balls off, Usagi."

"For your information, my b-" He tried, only to be silenced by my glare.

"Shut it!" I hissed, clipping him over the head as I stormed off in the direction of our table.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him hurry after me, gingerly patting the spot where I'd hit him, and then wincing. "Ow… that wasn't very nice…"

When had I ever been 'nice'?

Arriving at the table, I was sorely tempted to break a few fingers when I found that everyone was _still_ eating, and Lavi was already signalling a waitress.

I gritted teeth, plonking down into one of the spare seats, perfectly content to mutter curses beneath my breath. Curses I knew without a doubt that at least a quarter of the people at this table could hear.

Sensing my mood, Komui coughed, gathering the attention of the table. "It's good to see everyone again. Now, I know we don't normally gather together like this, but you all know why we're here: Noah. Last year their clan grew to be over thirteen times the size of ours, and their territory surpassing even that. In terms of…well… everything, we're on the losing end. What we need is information and a plan, otherwise we might not be lasting that much longer."

My frustration grew with each passing second. His fancy little speech was going far longer than it needed to. We _knew_ this already. We _knew_ the state of our clan and how far we'd fallen. We knew what could happen to us if this went on for too much longer.

Other clans were joining Noah, whether it by force or of their own will, we hadn't the slightest, and The Black Order was shrinking, our members gradually dying off from old age or joining larger clans. We were weakening.

"So, any ideas on how to start?" Komui finished, weary purple eyes hidden behind half-rimmed wire glasses.

Some skinny guy with nondescript brown hair in a messy ponytail -whose name may have been 'Johnny'- raised a hand. "We could always send someone in. Y'know, undercover or something..."

Komui shook his head, not even stopping to consider it. "They do background checks on all their employees."

"Then we can have someone hack 'em," someone else proposed, looking perhaps a tad too excited.

"Their firewalls are top notch," Reever said, shooting that idea down as quickly as it had come up, poking the remains of his food with a fork. "Besides, we don't have any good hackers left."

"Anyone else?" Komui tried tiredly, stifling a yawn..

"Why don' we juz' talk to 'em?" Came the garbled suggestion of someone who'd spoken with their mouth full.

Everyone openly stared at the red-head, who, at this moment in time, was pulling apart a lobster and noisily chewing.

At the feeling of those gazes, he looked up from his meal, giving the clan a shrug and swallowing. "Everything else has failed, so shouldn't we just go with that kind of approach?"

"Fine."

That when the incredulous stares shift from Lavi to me, silence taking hold of the table. No one spoke a word.

Put off, I glared at each and every one of them. "What?"

Komui leaning back in his seat, eyebrows high. "You of all people are agreeing with that kind of plan?"

"Tch."

I really didn't care anymore. While we were here having our fancy dinners and discussing options, Noah was one day closer to bringing whatever scenario they had in mind to completion.

Everyone in this clan had already grown far too used to this quiet life; if we were attacked as we were, The Black Order would easily fall.

All these years of peace had made us too weak.

We needed answers, and we needed them _now._

We no longer had the luxury of time on our side.

|I|I|

 _Now we're seeing how Kanda's fared… pretty well… If you compare it to Allen's life…_


	4. Chapter 3 - Coincidence?

Coincidence?

 _Allen Walker_

It was always the same.

We'd been here for over three weeks now and everything had fallen into a rhythm of sorts.

Wake up. Eat. Follow orders. Eat. Follow orders. Eat. Follow orders. Sleep.

Over and over this cycle repeated, with the sole exception being the Millennium Earl's summons, but they were few and far between.

Today, as I sat patiently awaiting my next orders from Tyki -who actually managed to get out of bed today-, a young woman clothed in a maid's attire stood before me, hair pale blue and eyes red. From what I could remember, she was Lulu Bell's favourite Akuma clansmen, and the most faithful one, at that.

But it was clear she wasn't here on Lulu Bell's orders, her next words assuring me of that.

"The Earl wishes to see you."

Nodding, I stood, following after her, not questioning as she led me up to the next three floors, into a room of where the Millennium Earl himself sat, and across from him was seated a human who possessed an uncanny resemblance with Hitler.

The Earl grinned, and I instantly knew what it was he wanted from me. There was currently a lasting order in play that stated whenever he summoned me, and there was an unknown in the room with him, I was to use my ability against said unknown without drawing any unnecessary attention to myself, the unknown this time being the Hitler-lookalike.

All I had to do was look at someone and I knew all there was to know about them. From their personality, to their memories, habits to likes; nothing could escape my all-seeing left eye.

Not that I could control what I saw. It all just flooded into my head like a tidal wave while I tried to make sense of what would be useful, and what wouldn't.

I didn't care to know that the man before me was having an affair with his neighbour, nor did I care that he was an extreme masochist, but it wasn't in my contract to express my opinion on such matters.

Even if I had one. Which I didn't.

And so, when the human left, I unbiasedly recited all that I'd learnt about him to my master, the Earl, no longer intimidated by the giant grin that split his face.

What the information wold be used for, I didn't ask. It would most likely be blackmail material, considering that's what it was usually used as.

I still didn't care.

My ability was the sole reason for my recruitment into the clan of Noah, but that didn't mean it was my place to ask or thing those kind of things. So I stopped.

The moment I finished speaking, I saw the gears already turning in his mind, figuring out how to use that information to his advantage and for the expansion of the clan's vast territory.

Noticing me still here, the Earl waved me off. "You can leave now, Allen~ "

"Yes, Earl," I said, turning on my heel and leaving the room, now venturing back downstairs to find Road.

Sheryl had once told me that her orders were also his, meaning that to me, Road Kamelot possessed the authority of two Noah, making her my default mistress, second only to the Earl himself. It was with her that I spent most of my days, which usually consisted of me being dressed up like a doll, or dragged outside for hors of shopping and trying on clothes. Or visiting candy stores. Road liked that.

I frowned as I entered playroom to find my mistress not there. That was odd; Road barely ever left this room without my company.

As I exited the room, someone caught my arm. Cat-like golden eyes stared me down from behind feminine shades, long blonde bangs brushing soft cheeks. "Is there something wrong, Lulu Bell?

She held out a slip of ivory paper in her gloved hands, and I took it from her without a second word. "This needs to be checked over and taken to the front desk on the bottom floor."

I nodded, knowing it was implied that I'd be the one to check it over, or else she wouldn't have bothered to say it at all.

I descended the stairs quickly, glancing over the first few words only to realise that this had to do with the Noah clan's latest venture; the purchasing of a small confectionary chain. Road would be pleased.

Just as I was scanning through the third paragraph for any peculiarities, something immediately caught my eye, something far more important than the piece of paper in my hands.

Well, it was more like _they_ caught my attention.

They _shouldn't_ have been here at all. But they were, the three of them together, just as they'd always been.

Lavi Bookman: Red hair still held up by that odd black-and-green scaled bandanna, left eye visible, the other hidden beneath a black leather eyepatch.

Lenalee Lee: Big violet eyes, heart-shaped face framed by long olive-green locks, no longer held up in twin pigtails, instead unbound and reaching down to her mid-back.

And…

My fists clenched, creasing the paper.

Yu Kanda: Piercing orbs of the coldest, deepest blue, his face dead serious, and hair tied up in that same high ponytail I'd seen him wearing from the moment we'd met.

 _My_ Yu…

One of my eyebrows twitched. Where had _that_ come from?

I tracked their movements, blankly watching as they walked straight past me, not sparing me even a first glance. And why would they? To them, I was nothing more than a complete stranger.

But to me, the current me, they were of a rival clan, making them unable to enter the base of _this_ clan without permission, and I'd received no notice of the sort.

Hurriedly, I went after them, putting myself between them and the front desk, where it seemed they'd been heading. "Demons of the Black Order, I ask that you vacate the premises immediately before I have you forcibly removed by security."

This time, they actually _looked_ at me, surprise in each of their expressions. I didn't dare meet their eyes, having lost the privilege to do so many years ago. Even if I did, I ran the risk of having my broken heart attempt to beat again.

And that was something I couldn't allow, no matter what, because I knew I wouldn't be able to bear it a second time. I couldn't bear being broken a second time.

It was hard enough getting this body to move every day, to wake up and fulfil each and every order given to me, but if by some chance that were to happen, I would surely die.

I'd stop moving. Stop thinking. Stop trying. And then I'd die.

My death meant the nullification of my contract, and that meant the end of the Black Order.

So I couldn't die. I wasn't allowed to.

All I could do was continue to be the puppet they made me to be, not that I knew how to be anything else by this point.

The _Allen Walker_ that the Black Order had once known and forgotten no longer existed.

All that was left was me, a hollow shell of what once was a person.

A hollow shell with a traitorous heart that beat hard against my painfully tight chest.

|I|I|

 _Tada~_

 _Seriously though, this hurts to write. Why did I write this again?_


	5. Chapter 4 - Fate's Severed Threads

Fate's Severed Threads

 _Yu Kanda_

If I had to pick a word to describe the kid standing in front of me, I'd go with _Moyashi_. Or maybe _ghost_ …

He certainly looked the part, like he'd fade away or break if you _looked_ at him the wrong way.

Though, being more realistic, he just reminded me of a corpse, dead grey eyes of his devoid of any form of emotion. Those things were completely lifeless, almost like someone had sucked out the kid's soul and left him to wander about the earth as is.

He had stark white hair and a weird upside-down pentagram scar that marred through the flesh of the left side of his face, yet somehow didn't detract from his… ghostlike beauty, for lack of a better word.

I openly stared at the dog tag that hung on a simple silver chain around his neck, on it engraved 'Allen Walker' in a cursive feminine script, complete with a little phone number directly below the name, as if he were truly an animal that had to be returned if lost.

What had me instantly on edge, though, was the black five-point star earing dangling from his left ear; it was the symbol of Noah.

But still, through all that weirdness, and that easily recognizable indicator of this kid being of the enemy's clan, something about him was strangely… familiar… maybe.

Had he been there during the last meeting with Noah several years ago? Was that it? It was always a possibility…

"Who are you?"

It took me a second to realise that I'd been the one to first speak up. I hadn't meant to do that, so why…?

"My name is Allen Walker." _So that IS his name on the tag._ "Now that you've asked your question, leave. Black Order demons are not permitted within Noah grounds."

I'd heard what he'd said before, but it was only now that his words fully processed in my mind. Immediately on guard, I eyed him suspiciously, not having been expecting to be identified so early on.

That's when I noticed something weird about him. Or _weirder_. Even though it was quite clearly us who he was talking to, he wasn't _looking_ at us, more like at a spot over our heads.

 _The hell…?_

He waited a few moments longer, and then, possibly realising that we leaving anytime soon, gestured to the gigantic glass revolving door that served as the front entrance to the building. "If you don't leave, I'll have no choice but t-"

Whatever he'd been about to say was cut off by the pair of hands that appeared from behind, attached arms wrapping around his slim shoulders. "Shou-ne-n~" A tanned face poked out, leering over at us. "Did you make some friends?"

I could almost taste it in the air, feeling a prickling sensation on my skin at his very presence. He was a demon, and judging from the way both Lena and Lavi were moving closer together, they could sense it too.

"No, I haven't," he answered dispassionately, only blinking indifferent when the demon rested his chin on the boy's head of white hair. "Tyki, I have yet to find you a suitable lover."

"Ah, don't worry about that; I doubt you have the capability to find be one, anyway. And that was weeks ago." Those golden eyes never left the three of us, staring us down with interest. "Now, who are these little ones?"

The boy remained as he was, standing straight and not looking at all bothered by the fact that he was being used as but an instrument for the demon to lean on. "Yu Kanda, Lenalee Lee, Lavi Bookman; all are demons of the Black Order."

I felt my body go stiff. _How does he know our names?_

"Really?" Tyki purred, tone sultry, giving the three of us a lustful stare, though I could tell it wasn't because he was horny. If anything, what those creepy eyes were telling me was that what he lusted for as of this moment in time was to paint the walls with our blood and dance to the tune of our screams. _Fucking psychopathic Noah…_

One of the demon's hands brushed the human's cheek, and the latter finally pulled away, face still expressionless. "That's not-"

"That's not in your contract, yeah, I get it," the demon named Tyki said, annoyance interlaced with something I couldn't place. Mocking, maybe...

"I will not become your bed mate, Tyki."

I was surprised at that sudden statement. Lavi and Lena wrinkled their noses in distaste. It was fair to say that we all were more than a little disgusted, too.

The enemy demon's face darkened, making warning bells go off in my head. "Are you sure about that, Shounen?"

"It's not in my contract. The Earl has forbidden you from doing anything that goes against my contract."

Tyki sighed. "Whatever. You're a killjoy; you know that, right?"

The boy, features _still_ inexpressive, shook his head. "It's not in my contract to worry over such petty things."

"Of course it isn't," the other muttered with an eye roll. "When have you ever done anything outside of that stupid contract?"

"Never, Tyki. You know why I can't."

They stood there, staring at each other, one straight faced, the other glaring, until the demon gave in and sighed again. "Don't you have work to do?"

The human held up a piece of crumbled paper in a gloved hand, eyebrow twitching as if it were trying -and very much failing- to pull down into a frown.

Tyki put both hands on the boy's shoulders and spun him around, giving him a slight push towards the front desk. "Off you go, Shounen," he murmured, slapping the kid's ass with the back of his hand.

I watched the whole thing happen with silent disgust, meeting the blank grey stare that glanced back at us as it retreated. He held my gaze for less than a second, and then turned away. It was repulsive, how the kid's eyes had showed that he couldn't have cared less about the act of blatant sexual harassment against him.

Lavi, his eyes currently resting on the white-haired figure at the front desk, forcibly brought his attention back to the demon before him. "We wish for a meeting with the Earl." He said it clearly, voice resolute, demanding.

Tyki smiled. "No can do."

My hand drifted to rest on the sheath of my prized Katana, eyes narrowing. "Yes, you can."

In turn, his gaze turned slitted, eyes flashing gold, a menacing grin splitting his face. "No, I can't."

|I|I|

 _Yes, I made Tyki a dickhead._


	6. Chapter 5 - Divine Providence

Divine Providence

 _Allen Walker_

It'd only been for a second; not to prevent the noticeable strain it would have my body, but because this was the first time I'd used it in the past several years without being ordered to do so.

Lenalee Lee was living happily with her older brother, currently occupying a high position within the clan as an advisor.

Lavi Bookman was the next in line to take Bookman's place as official historian of the clan.

And…

Yu Kanda was… set to fill the post as clan head… and wasn't in any kind of serious relationship… nor had he ever been.

 _False._

He didn't remember it, but he _had_ been in…

My chest hurt, as did my left eye.

The pain in my left eye was understandable, seeing as using my ability against a demon was more difficult than if compared to a human, due to the differences between species, the in the chest… It was odd. No physical abnormalities had been brought to my attention during my last regular check-up. Though, it really didn't matter to me all that much if there were problems with this body of mine; everything was fine, so long as I could carry out my orders.

Breathing slowly in and out, the pain dissipated. Not completely, but enough to be labelled as nothing more than a slight discomfort.

I gave the creased paper over to the Akuma clansmen at the front desk. Her name was Chomesuke, and the only time her smile ever dimmed was when she saw me. I didn't remember the emotion in her eyes, and it didn't matter. It wasn't my job to know something like that.

"Good morning, Allen," she smiled politely, talking slow, each word carefully selected.

I nodded blankly.

Her smile fell.

Out of nowhere, two thin arms latched tight around my neck, and mirth-filled golden eyes stared up at me. "Let's go shopping~ I wanna dress you up and get some candy!"

I nodded, and Road squealed, pecking me lightly on the cheek.

She made for the front entrance when she spotted the Black Order trio still conversing with Tyki. From the looks of it, they were in the midst of a heated argument.

"Is that who I think it is?" Road asked, frowning. She wrapped herself protectively around my arm, tugging me along.

Kanda's hand was already at Mugen's hilt, Lavi appeared sickened by whatever they were speaking of, and Lenalee looked as if she wanted to beat each and every one of them to a pulp.

"Tyki~" Road said, effectively drawing the attention of all for. "You have such terrible manners. Why have guests; why aren't you treating them as such?"

The Portuguese man shrugged, eyes flickering from the Black Order demons, to Road and I. "They're not supposed to be here," he answered flippantly, patting down his pockets for the packet of cigarettes I remember him accidentally leaving on his bedside table earlier this morning.

"You're probably being rude," she shot back, squeezing my arm tighter.

"No I wa-"

"Bet you were." She grinned, the expression making those of the Black Order take a step back. "And you," Road looked directly at Lenalee this time, sizing her up. "You're a girl, so maybe you can help me!"

At a loss for words, Lenalee's mouth opened and closed a couple times as she tried to process those words.

"I want to buy Allen some new clothes, but I need someone else's opinion," Road went on, grip on me now even tighter. Something was wrong. "So you can come help, right?"

Lenalee shook her head, taking another step back. "I would love to, really, and I don't want to be rude or anything, but we've got things to go…"

Smirking playfully, the young Noah demon cocked her head to the side, leaning in closer to the others while still maintaining her tight hold on me. "I'll give you some juicy insider info on our clan~"

They all looked at each other, surprised -the obvious exception being Kanda-, before nodding.

|I|I|

Road hugged a creamy white shirt with frills to her chest, twirling around as she did so. "I think you'd look _amazing_ in girl's clothes, Allen!"

The three demons accompanying us each displayed their own personal variations of shock.

Lenalee went a little red in the face; like she couldn't believe that Road would actually dress me up as a woman.

Lavi's jaw dropped.

And Kanda's reaction was just a simple raising of the eyebrows.

They should've gotten over it already; this _was_ the fourth shot we'd visited.

"If that is what you wish, go ahead, Road," I said, wandering gaze back on my young mistress.

She puffed out her cheeks, throwing the shirt onto a nearby chair already littered with stray articled of clothing, ranging from tight leather jackets to loose bell-bottoms. "You're no fun!" She glanced over at the others, expression mellowing out back to playfulness. "What do _you_ think?"

"Why should we care about that freak?" Kanda snapped, apparently fed up with… something.

Pain stabbed though me at his words. Maybe there really was something wrong with me… I'd have to mention that at my next check-up.

Road just laughed, though there was something dark behind it; why was she upset? "Doesn't that just break your heart, Allen~?"

"No, Road," I answered without hesitation. Because it didn't. Something like that wasn't enough to break me.

Eye twitching, Kanda's glare darkened. "You promised us information."

"Fine," she shot back, not missing a beat as she selected a light blue dress from a nearby rack, holding it up against me to compare it with something or another. Skin tone, maybe. That was the usual one. "You're confused, right? About why we haven't attacked you these past seven years?" Road tossed the dress onto the growing discard pile, displeased. "And how we've grown so large in this time?" She continued without waiting for an answer. "Let's just say…" Her eyes met mine, and they softened. "We got our hands on something… something we'd been searching for… It took over half a decade, but in the end, Noah always get what it wants."

"What was it?" Lavi asked, insatiable curiosity now piqued. He wetted his lips, leaning forwards as he did so.

"I can't tell you that just yet, but what I _can_ tell you is that you'd better stay away from Noah." She held up a hand, stopping whatever protests they'd been about to make. "If you interfere, then what happens next won't be pretty." She uninterestedly eyed each and every one of them, before sighing. "But you're not going to listen to me, are you?"

Lavi shook his head.

"Of course not," she muttered dryly. "I think it's time you left."

She'd given them barely any information, so Kanda's less-than-savoury reaction was understandable. "The fuck?!"

"Allen, drive them home, would you? I know for a fact that they took a taxi here." She smirked at their surprise. "Yes, I know that you took a taxi, just as I also know _so much more_ about you. In fact, I'd even say that, within the Noah clan, I am one of two people who knows more about you than anyone else."

The other being me, because I'd given her everything I'd known, and in return, she hadn't told a soul.

"He's not old enough to drive," he grumbled, now grasping at straws.

In response, I reached into my own pocket and pulled out my driver's licence, holding it up for them to see.

Lavi's one visible green eye went wide. "Twenty-two?!"

Road giggled, the clothes she'd picked out already tucked under her arm. "How old did you think he was?"

"I don't know, sixteen… maybe eighteen…" The red-head trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. It wasn't like him to be usable to tell someone's age. He was the smart one.

"That's old enough to drive."

I nodded, but then stopped, turning to face the young demoness. "How will you get home, Road?"

She grinned. "I'll just call Tyki to come get me!"


	7. Chapter 6 - What Never Was

What Never Was

 _Yu Kanda_

The drive had been in complete silence. Well, except for that one time Lenalee had attempted to start up a light conversation with the kid. He hadn't said a thing.

Right now he was sitting on the couch, not doing a thing. He didn't say anything, didn't look around, just _sat there_. It was creepy.

"Why'd you let him inside?" I muttered to Lavi, who was watching the human from the doorway, where Lenalee and I both stood.

Lavi shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "He drove us home."

" _And_?"

He sighed. "It would've been rude to not invite him in."

"Who cares about _rude_? He's a _Noah clansman_!"

Lavi winced, though with one eye covered by an eyepatch, it looked more like he was squinting. He knew the gravity of the situation, but things were moving out of his control. Out of _our_ control.

The red-head opened his mouth to speak, eye drifting back over to the lounge room, and then froze. "A-Allen?"

I turned, annoyed, and my blood went cold.

"Fuck."

The couch was empty. The Moyashi was gone.

Lavi rushed upstairs, the distinct sound of doors being thrown open following him soon after. "I can't find him!" Stomping. "Where'd he go?!"

Lenalee gasped, and then ran over to the window and opened it. I trailed behind her, though at a slower, less hurried pace, getting there just in time to see the Moyashi walking away. He wasn't facing the house, the car he'd driven here his clear desired destination.

"Wait!" She yelled, hands gripping the windowsill.

At the car now, keys in hand, the kid stopped.

"Where are you going?"

He turned to face us. "I have work to do."

"But you only just got here," she argued, knuckles turning white. Why did she want him to stay? Why did she care?

One of his eyebrows twitched. "You do not want someone from Noah in your home, so I will leave."

I'd noticed it before, but the way he talked was really awkward. It was too perfect and formal.

"Come back in. Now." Lenalee was glaring. She didn't do that often. "We didn't even get you anything to drink. At least stay for tea or something."

He hesitated, considering the offer -more like order-, and then slowly pocketed the keys.

Lavi came back downstairs just as Lenalee was opening the front door, and the both of us watched as the Moyashi was forcefully pulled back inside.

|l|l|

Somehow, _staying for tea_ had turned into _staying for a tour of the house_.

"Our rooms are up here," Lavi -the designated tour guide- said, pointing out each room, leaving the rest of us to follow after him.

The Moyashi nodded blankly. "So you all live together." It wasn't a question, more like a statement.

The only reason I was here was because I couldn't leave those two idiots alone with the kid. I just _knew_ that they'd let down their guards on the basis that he was human.

"Yeah," Lenalee agreed, "we all moved here since we're in the same clan and all. It's easier this way."

"And now we can always be together!" Lavi added with a relaxed grin, proof of his non-existent suspicions. "And this here is the spare room." He pushed open the door, revealing the room's interior.

There were bits and bobs scattered all around, mainly things we could no longer find a use for, but what took up the most space here, situated in the far left corner, was a grand piano. It was big and white, and the letters _A. R. W._ were elegantly inscribed in black on one of the front legs. The sight of it always made me calm for some reason.

"My brother had us bring it here. We found it back at the last place we lived, but none of us play," Lenalee said with a frown. "We were actually thinking of getting rid of it."

He nodded at her words. I really didn't understand why she was telling him this; it wasn't like he cared or anything.

Lavi made to continue out and on with the tour, but stopped and stared.

The kid was slowly drifting over to the piano, and when he got to the padded seat in front, he gingerly sat, like there was something fundamentally _wrong_ with being so close. His fingers trailed over the keys, stirring the dust that had gathered there in the piano's many years of neglect.

The tune started off small, one handed, a child's simple melody, and then gradually shifted into something more complicated, soon requiring both hands. It wasn't something I'd ever heard before, but had the basis of something _familiar_. I couldn't say what, though it was on the tip of my tongue.

However, I couldn't deny that it was beautiful.

From the way he played, it was obviously that he knew what he was doing, and was in no way a novice. He still didn't show any expression, though, but his grey eyes did soften, if only the slightest bit.

I wouldn't say he looked happy, nor would I say he looked upset. More soulful, if anything, no matter how deep it was hidden.

And then his fingers froze, and he stiffly rose, tense.

"I should be leaving now," he murmured, eyes hardening from when they'd softened, all traces of emotion gone, like it'd never been there in the first place.

That look didn't suit him one bit.


	8. Chapter 7 - Wipe The Slate

Wipe The Slate

 _Allen Walker_

"It was nice meeting you," I said with a bow. It was the natural thing to do after parting with someone you'd only just met.

I'd have to be more careful from now on, and watch each step I made. Even though I'd done it reflexively, with them around, it was almost too easy to slip back into my old habits and mannerisms.

That was not good.

I should never have played the piano; that had been the tipping point.

"Whatever, Moyashi," Kanda muttered, mood having inexplicably gotten worse after I'd left my song unfinished.

Hearing that nickname, however, sparked something deep within me. It awoke a _feeling_ of pain, something that _should not_ have been there. It was like there something in my chest trying to claw itself out, and it wouldn't stop. It hurt.

I left abruptly, pushing open the door and darting down the little stone path lined by grass, not really paying any attention to what was around me.

"Allen?"

I slammed the car door shut, ignoring their shocked faces and questioning looks. Or I should have, but I glanced back anyway, and it hurt all over again.

To be honest, I barely managed to make it all the way back to headquarters, with my condition being as it was.

I practically stumbled past Chomesuke and her worried face, past the stares, past the doors, through the ridiculously long hallways, and finally to my room.

My chest throbbed, and I was finding it rather difficult to breathe. My head felt strange. My eyes were wet.

I unbuttoned my shirt and stepped in front of the mirror, surveying the damage. But there was none. No wound. No blood. No indicator as to what was causing this _torture_.

I frowned as my legs trembled, and then my body convulsed and gave in. I knew I was on the floor; that much my inert brain could figure out for itself.

My breathing was more erratic than before. My stomach felt strange.

As if on instinct, I crawled over to my bedroom's adjoined bathroom, only just making it in time to empty the contents of my stomach into the porcelain toilet. It was loud and unsightly, and I was sure that by the time I had finished, there was nothing left for my stomach to lose.

Now my throat burned, and there was a bad taste in my mouth.

My breaths were coming faster, their frequency and length bordering on hyperventilation. I couldn't see anymore; why was everything so blurred?

I shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. No. I wasn't cold. In fact, if anything, I was hot. My clothes felt all _wrong_ , sticky from sweat I hadn't noticed until now.

I whimpered, hunching further over the toilet. The smell was terrible.

"Allen?!"

I hadn't heard her come in.

Road grabbed at my shoulders, forcing me to face her.

Someone must have informed her of my condition. It was most likely Chomesuke.

I attempted to give her my usual indifference, but failed miserably when the pain somehow got _worse_ and I grimaced.

She patted my head, her hand shaking slightly, her eyes _scared_.

"I b-believe… there's something wr-wrong with m-me," I choked out, shuddering as I spoke. "I-I won't… be able t-to take o-orders like th-this…"

That fear quickly changed to horrification, and Road shook her head. Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me to her chest, my young Mistress appearing not at all bothered by the vomit. "Do you want me to take away the pain?" She whispered, voice soft. Not kind, but sad. So, _so_ sad.

In all these years I'd worked for the Noah clan, not once had I asked for a single thing. I hadn't _needed_ it. But this… it was simply unbearable. Whatever was happening to me, it wasn't worth it. The pain just _wasn't worth it_.

I nodded frantically and without restrained, clinging to Road unabashedly.

She gently removed herself from my grip, and then her small fingers brushed away the few strands of hair clinging to the corner of my mouth, stuck there by vomit. "You know my ability, correct?"

This time, I nodded slower, the pain dulling my everything. She dealt in dreams. That was her specialty.

She touched my left cheek, stroking the long scar marking it. "I'm gonna make it all go away, alright?" Her large gold eyes trembled.

This wasn't right. Road wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Just…breathe…"

All I did was blink.

Then the world stopped.

And it didn't hurt anymore.

|l|l|

Things were fuzzy when I opened my eyes, like I'd woken from a long sleep. I couldn't think straight, and it took me more than five seconds to notice Road's face above me, worry evident in her eyes.

I slowly raised my head from her lap, taking in my surroundings, tasting vomit in my mouth. I had no idea why the both of us were in my room, nor could I remember when exactly we'd gotten here, or when I'd fallen asleep. It was like there was a wall in my mind, blocking me out from something I wasn't supposed to know.

"You poor thing," Road mumbled, a delicate hand over her mouth, tone hopeless, and _sorry_. "What've we done to you?"

I blinked at her, tipping my head to the side in mock confusion. "Is something the matter, Road?" Tyki had told me to do that when I voiced a question of this nature. He'd told me that it made me look cute and more normal.

She stared at me with that emotion I still couldn't place, no matter how many times I saw it directed at me, and then little crystalline tears overflowed, running down her cheeks. "No." She smiled at me. It looked painful. "Nothing wrong."

And, being the good little dog I am, I didn't question my Mistress.

|I|I|

 _I don't hate Road all that much, so I don't want her actually evil. Allen needs at least someone in the Noah clan on his side…_

 _I'm trying to make Road a little more like her manga self, which is loyal to her family, but close to Allen._

 _This is not a roadXallen fanfic._


	9. Chapter 8 - 'First' Encounters

'First' Encounters

 _Yu Kanda_

"How is it that you three know my name?"

I'll admit that even I was stumped.

All we'd done was return for the information we'd been cheated out of yesterday, and what we'd found was the Moyashi talking to some brown-haired demoness at the front desk. Lenalee and Lavi had naturally gone on over to talk with him and ask why he'd left so abruptly yesterday, and I had followed to supervise the two idiots.

There was still barely any emotion present in him, but I _did_ see something flicker in the depths of those cold grey eyes of his. However, what I saw was not what I'd expected. Not even close.

Lenalee looked worried, and leant in closer to get a better look at the kid. "Don't you… remember?"

His fingers twitched, though he remained silent.

Lavi and Lenalee glanced at each other, sharing their silent confusions. "Yesterday?"

"Yes…terday?" The Moyashi repeated slowly, as if testing out a word for the first time. "You must be mistaken." He was back to his normal detached demeanour in an instant. "I did not see you yesterday, nor have we ever met before."

Lenalee's hands clenched around her skirt, tightly fisting the dark fabric. "What do you mean… that we haven't met before?"

"Exactly as I have said," he stated blankly. "Now that you understand, leave. Black Order personnel are not permitted within Noah territory

His words brought forth a painfully strong sense of déjà vu; they were _so close_ to what he'd said to us the first time we'd met.

Out of the blue, that little Noah girl, Road, attached herself to his waist, a sickly sweet smile on her face. "So you three came back~"

"Che." I glared down at her, doing so not only out of habit, but to also distract me from the amnesiatic brat staring at us like we were strangers. "You gave us jack shit. No wonder we're back, dumbass."

Road grinned at us, and then looked up at the kid, tugging on his right sleave. "Ne, Allen, I want candy~"

I practically _saw_ the ambiguous request register itself in his mind, and I watched him respectfully bow down halfway to the girl who couldn't have been much younger than him. "Yes, Road."

He strode on over to the elevator without giving us another word, waited a moment for the doors to slide open, stepped in, presumably pressed a button -I couldn't see well enough from this direction to be sure-, and didn't spare us even a passing glance when the doors sealed shut.

Alternatively, the moment he was out of sight, everything about the young demoness changed. She wasn't smiling any more, for one, and her arms were crossed across her flat chest defensively. "Ask your questions, then _leave_."

Taken aback by her abrupt transformation, the three of us were speechless -not that I would have spoken anyway-, and it was Lenalee whom first gathered herself together enough to ask in a tiny, stammering voice, "W-what's going on? Why doesn't he… remember us?"

Road's straight face was quickly ruined once she grimaced, the expression unbefitting on a child. "I took his memories of yesterday," she replied lamely.

"Why… why w-would you do that?!" Lavi spluttered.

I didn't get it. We hadn't known the kid all that long, but for Lavi and Lenalee to act like this…

Something was wrong.

Timidly, Lenalee looked the younger girl in the eye, her own violet orbs trembling. "Did you… really take his memories?"

"You got to close; we can't have that happening again. And it's not like this was the first time." She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. It was a lie. This child was lying not only to us, but to herself. She seemed like she didn't care, and acted like it was no big deal, but it was obvious that it pained her to admit it, to actually _say_ it. "He's too breakable to be left alone." Her small hands bunched into fists, and she glared at us fearsomely. "Stay away from Allen."

This time I scoffed, crossing my arms and raising a brow. "Weren't you the one who pushed him on us in the first place?"

"I thought it would be good for him!" She hissed, and then turned her head sharply to the side, like she didn't want to even _look_ at us. "Clearly I was mistaken."

"You can't just do something like that!" Lenalee protested. "He h-"

"He _what_? Did you four _play nice_ and _make_ _friends_?" The girl sneered, hiding everything behind harsh words dripping with unconcealed sarcasm and depreciating hostility. "Are you planning on _taking_ our Allen away from us?"

Why the fuck would she think that? We weren't even here for the brat.

"We won't give him to you! He's been through enough! He doesn't need you! He's _mine_!" Her hand was on her chest, and I don't know if she noticed, but there was a note of desperation lacing through her voice. "I'll protect him! I can do it! I have one of the highest positions in our clan… They won't be able to hurt him… I can keep him _safe_ this time!"

Hushed whispers all around our little group took my notice, and I scowled at the people whose attention we'd attracted.

That tended to happen when you yelled in a lobby.

"You wanted information, right?" She asked, ignoring the chatter and the stares.

I gave the young demoness a curt nod, fixing Lenalee with a quick glare when she opened her mouth to speak.

"I'll tell you a story. Not the whole story, just enough…so you'll understand why… Allen…" Her hand dropped loosely to her side as she expelled a breath of air from her lungs in the form of a long, deep sigh, almost like she was giving in.

I didn't know how this related to anything, but I had the nagging suspicion that she wasn't planning on fooling with us any longer, so I'd listen and wait until it made at least some form of sense. Especially if it meant we could get our hands on the info we'd been wanting for over the past several years now.

It _was_ why we'd come here in the first place.

|I|I|

 _This little talk will be split into two chapters, both in Kanda's P.O.V_


	10. Chapter 9 - 'First' Encounters - Cont'

'First' Encounters - Continuation 

_Yu Kanda_

Road balled her small fists, unhappiness clear in her features, and in the way that the purple hue of her eyes shifted to amber, and became something dark and cold and so, so sad.

"A while ago," she began, shifting where she stood, "a human boy was born. Demons flocked to be by his side. He was passed from one to the next, be it by stealing or being sold."

She had to be talking about the Moyashi.

"As you can imagine, his birth parents… well… they'd already been killed off." Not once did Road look away, her gaze burning through each of us, holding us in our individual places.

It wasn't that I was afraid of her, more like I didn't want to move.

I wanted to wait and listen and learn, even though those were three things I'd once hated with a passion. I didn't have the luxury of ignoring these things now, not anymore.

"He was worth a lot, you see, because they were all waiting to find out what he'd be when he grew up." Her tone was robotic, those eyes of hers now dead.

 _Why?_

Wasn't he human?

"When the child was nine years of age, he grew tired of being treated like an animal, and he finally gathered the courage to run away from the demons, who'd been too full of themselves to think that a measly human brat would have the gall to escape." She laughed humourlessly; maybe it was to herself, maybe for the heck of it. I really don't know. "They, of course, were furious, and searched high and low for the boy, but they all died." At this, her lips twitched down. "A large group of demons had their eye on the boy, so they went ahead and rid themselves of all the competition. But they couldn't find him."

She looked down at her hands, absentmindedly patting down the fabric her dress, which ended like the pointed petals of a strange colourless flower.

"Three years after that, the boy met another demon."

Alright, I'd admit to feeling slightly curious; what exactly had he been doing in those three years that Road had skipped?

"They shared a couple classes in school, and became fast friends. He even befriended some of the demon's clansmen." Her eyes held a faraway look, reminiscent and soft. "Once the boy saw a fight between his new friends and another demon, and he got caught up in the middle. The other demon injured him, and what happened then was the releasing of the seal that had kept him safe since..." She suddenly stopped herself, and guiltily looked up, hesitant to meet our stares. "The demons could smell it on him. They chose to protect him. They brought the boy back to their clan, and half a week later he was inducted in. They became his new family."

That's when her expression crumbled.

"When he was fifteen, the large group of demons… Noah… we finally managed to locate him…" She mumbled. "And we kidnapped the entire clan- all of the boy's friends… everyone he cared about, and we gave him a choice."

Nearby, Lenalee grabbed hold of Lavi's sleave, stepping closer to the red-head, her knuckles white.

"And that little boy became an animal again so the people he cherished would live." Road's smile was a bitter one, full of self-loathing. "We're horrible, don't you think?"

When we didn't answer, the girl sighed.

"Due to the specifics of the contract Allen made with the Millennium Ear, those demons are now living peacefully, with absolutely no idea that he was once part of their clan."

"Con…tract?" Lenalee asked numbly. "He said something about that…"

Road gently shook her head. "The contract is between the Earl and Allen; no one but them are privy to that kind of information, and for obvious reasons, the both of them are disinclined to talk about it. "

"Then…" Lenalee wetted her bottom lip nervously. "Why did those demons lose their memories of him?"

The younger demoness shrugged her small shoulders. "He didn't want them making the stupid mistake of fighting for him, because he knew they'd die. And he didn't want them to be upset. That's why he had us make them forget."

He'd had someone's memories taken, and now he'd lost his. It was almost comical, in its own twisted way. What he had done to them had now been done to him.

"Right now, the earing he wears masks his scent, so demons won't be coming after him in hordes. He's safe." Her gaze settled on me, nearing contemplative, but closer to sympathetic. "For now, at least."

Lenalee used her arm to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall, and she sniffled. "Why does Noah want Allen?"

Whatever she'd been thinking before was gone, that question having wiped the golden-eyed girl's face clear of emotion. "Humans with powers are the rarest thing in this world."

Even that stupidly vague statement was enough.

It made sense.

That was quite possible the only viable reason as to why so many demons would ever want a _human_.

"We originally thought about selling him," she went on, looking down, "but these past seven years he's proved far too beneficial to let go."

Seven years.

That meant that the Moyashi most likely had a part to play in Noah's rise.

I scoffed and rubbed at my temples.

The answer had been walking around beside us for over half a day and we hadn't even noticed.

"You wondered why we can't..." Road murmured, toying with a lock from her fringe. "He started to warm up to you. And that's not good. He's been pushing all of his emotions down all this time… he's been numb for so long… that even the slightest bit of feeling is painful. He can't breathe. He was gasping for breath. He kept asking me why it hurt so much…" Her small frame shook. "He begged me to make it all go away. He didn't even know what it was… he just wanted it gone." She grit her teeth, paused for a moment, then moved her hand back down to her side. "He's broken. Those demons… his clan broke him into so many pieces that he became that damned husk of a person he is now!"

Although still stunned, Lavi was the first to speak, "They… did that? Why?"

"They… when they saw Allen standing beside us… talking normally with us… while they were all in chains… every single one of them jumped to the wrong conclusion. And Allen didn't bother telling them anything, because they wouldn't remember." Her fists clenched again, and her nails dug so hard into the palm of her hand that they drew blood. "Do you know how many times I've had to tamper with his memories? How many times I've had to erase _entire days_ just because he did something as simple as look at a picture of them?!" She snarled, head jerking back up, anger and sadness present in her stiff features. " _You. Filthy. Traitor_. That was the last thing they said to him! It's not fair… They should've known. They knew him! None of this was his fault!"

She took a breath. And another, Then another.

"Allen just…" Road waved a hand through the air, as if to demonstrate how hopeless a cause the Moyashi really was. "He just stood there and took it. He took the looks and the insults and then left. He's… well, you've seen him now. You should've seen him then… I was tasked with getting close to him in school. I pretended to be a demon without a clan and I actually managed to befriend him… I knew how he was before… He's not supposed to be like this…"

Lavi cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence that had followed Road's mutterings. "How did you do it? There should have been records… something to make the demons realise that something was wrong. Wouldn't they have noticed eventually?"

She stared blankly at Lavi. "Erasing a person is easy. We cleared out any and all items from the clan's houses that had pictures of, or even mentioned his name. To them, Allen Walker never existed in the first place. We were very thorough."

Only then, when she ceased talking, did I take notice of the unnatural silence.

My body tensed up, joints locking, and I quickly tried to assess the area around us. _Tried_ being the operating word here.

There was nothing. We were standing in a void devoid of everything except ourselves, and I could do nothing but watch as the others soon picked up on it, too, and both looked to me with fear in their eyes.

"I have something to ask of you." Her voice came from nowhere but everywhere at once, even though she stood right in front of us. "I know what you appearing here means. It's finally begun." Her eyes burned with hate, and a muscle in her jaw twitched. "I don't like you. In fact, I'd prefer it if you stayed as far from him as possible, but Allen's going to need… H-he…" She stopped, then she sighed. "Look after him, won't you?"

I was ready to protest, but I didn't get the chance.

"… _Road_..."

The world snapped back, and everything was back to normal. There was colour once more, there were people bustling about around us, there was light, and the young Noah demoness was instant smiles.

Her entire demeanour had reverted back to that bright and cheerful adolescent girl when she was handed the bag of -what I presumed to be- sweets she'd sent the Moyashi out to collect. "Thanks, Allen~"

He stared at her for a few seconds, and then tilted his head ever-so-slightly to the side. "Are you alright, Road?"

Her face slackened, but a second later she tried for a smile, one faint, yet still real, and squeezed his arm with her free hand. "I'm just tired. Let's go back to my room, 'kay?"

He nodded immediately at the request, then glanced at us, and bowed low, before he said, "It was a pleasure to meet you, and I thank you for keeping My Lady company in my absence."

Put out -and rightfully wary-, I grunted, scowling at the demoness behind the Moyashi.

The other two, still in the midst of getting their bearings back, stuck close to me, but nodded their heads anyway.

Road slipped her hand into the Moyashi's, and after giving me a grim look, she promptly led the white-haired brat away.


	11. Chapter 10 - People

People

 _Allen Walker_

My young Mistress grinned up at me, her hand already buried deep in that bag of candy I'd brought her from the kitchen room some floors above. She popped a sweet into her mouth as we walked, and it made a crunching sound that cut through the silence when she bit down and crushed it between her perfectly white teeth.

I stared at her rather blankly, noting nothing out of the ordinary about her current mental condition, despite the seriousness of her demeanour I'd glimpsed when she'd been talking to the demons of the Black Order. "Did I forget something?"

Her hand in the bag stilled. "No," she replied flatly, eyes dulling.

If my mind wasn't so broken, her reaction might've raised some kind of warning flag in my mind.

"They said they knew me. Why is that?" I probed, knowing full well that this wasn't like me at all. I didn't bother to think about why that was. "Road?"

She wouldn't answer, so I pressed her no further. I had a job to do anyway, and asking personal questions was not that job.

"Do you have any tasks for me to complete?"

Road shook her head, taking another candy and pushing it past her lips. After chewing on the sweet for a moment, she swallowed, and said, "I'm fine."

That was when I spotted the red stains on the bag in her hands and bloody crescents in her palms.

"I'll clean those up right away," I mumbled, holding open the purple-and-white door that lead to her bedroom.

She stayed were she was, having seen what I meant. "That's not neces-"

I let the door close, and took a step closer to the demoness. "My task, given to me by Sheryl, is to care for you. The order was an indefinite one." Mindful of the small injuries dotting her dainty hands, I held them in mine, and stared her right in the eyes. Because of my lack of emotion, many had told me how unnerving this was for them. Road was no exception to that. She could not control her emotions, no matter how much she wished she could, no matter how good she was at hiding them. "Let me do my job, Mistress."

Holding my gaze for another second or so, she gave in. "Fine," she muttered petulantly, sticking out her lip in a pout.

Once more, I opened the door, and this time, she passed through the doorway, knowing automatically to head straight for the bathroom.

"Good. Master Earl would be upset if you fell prey to an infection," I informed the girl, following after her. "As would Sheryl."

She groaned and sat up on the bathroom counter. "Father would cause such a scene." A giggle. "But maybe that wouldn't be so bad."

"He spoils you too much, Mistress. You're becoming conceited," I told her as I sifted my way through the contents of the sink cupboard.

Every bathroom in this building contained at least the bare minimum of medical equipment, because, more often than not, accidents did indeed occur. Road's room was particularly well-stocked, a result of a doting father and a Master who loved his twelve Noah very much.

She laughed at my words and nudged my shoulder with the toe of her purple shoe. "Are you sure that's what you meant to say?"

"Maybe not." I pulled out a bottle of disinfectant and a small box filled with cotton swabs, and looked up at her smiling face. " _Attention-seeking_ is closer."

Her jaw dropped.

Standing, I set the bottle and the box down beside her on the counter, before unscrewing the bottle and filling the lid with as much disinfectant as it could hold without spilling over. I opened the box next, selecting a few swabs. After that, I dipped a white ball of cotton into the disinfectant, and then swiped the soaked swab over the marks.

When I was finished with them all, I threw the used cotton balls in the bin and reached back into the cupboard for a roll of gauze.

The second she saw the bandages, she scowled. "Don't use bandages," she said, turning up her nose. "You're over exaggerating things now. They'll heal soon enough. Besides, if Papa sees me in _those_ , he'll have a heart attack."

Even if I could, I would not disagree with that statement; Sheryl was a very overprotective man.

Road slid down from the counter, eyeing me oddly while I returned everything back to their original places.

As I was shutting the cupboard doors, she tugged on my sleeve.

"Is something the matter?" I asked, turning my full attention to her.

Her gold eyes held no joy now; they were cool and sombre and on only me. "If there's anything you ever need, know that you can come to me, alright?"

I patted the top of her spiky purple hair, smoothing it down the best I could. "You need not concern yourself with my wellbeing."

She curled up against me like a cat, her arms winding around my neck, forehead pressed to my scarred cheek. "But I _do_ care."

"You shouldn't."

|l|l|

I had held her in my arms until her breathing had evened out and she'd fallen asleep there.

Silently, I carried my Mistress to her bed, carefully lowering her down onto the purple sheets.

She would not let me go when I made to pull back, so I sat down beside her and attempted to gently pry her hands away from my sleeve, but found that I was unable to extract myself from her strong demon grip.

It was best to wait this out then.

I let my back rest against the headboard of her bed, kicking my shoes off and drawing me knees close to my chest.

My grey gaze drifted down to land on my Mistress' sleeping face, and I let myself take in her relaxed expression.

She was someone I would care for if I had the capacity to.

While this place was crawling with demons, I knew that I did not mind the species. I had never been one to discriminate by species, even before my time with Noah.

Vaguely, I remembered a man by the name of Mana. He was a demon, just like most of this building's occupants. He, like my Mistress, was one of the better ones. It was he who had been the one to grant me a name. Apparently the past Allen's had all died; the name itself was a curse, he'd said. I was already cursed, so I'd promised him that I would outlive him to prove him wrong.

I'd done just that.

I was living, and he was a corpse.

After him, the next I'd learnt to love -to really, _really_ love- was Yu.

That was why I was here.

The only reason I still worked for Noah was because I couldn't leave. My body simply wouldn't allow it. It had been ingrained into me that those of the Black Order -Yu and Lenalee and Lavi and Komui and _so many more_ \- had to be _protected_. I now lived for that, even if I no longer knew why. It was just a fact of life.

Besides, I quite seriously doubted that I'd be able to function properly anymore without someone to give me orders.

Noah had dragged me away from my _family_ , and back then, I'd tried my hardest to remember the way Yu had looked at that very moment, because I'd thought it would be the very last time I'd ever get to see him.

Oh how wrong I'd been.

Seeing him that next time had unlimitedly been what ruined me. It had taught me how it felt to have the person I loved the most stare at me like I was a blight on this already imperfect world. Like I was a monster. A _traitor_.

But now here he was, before me again, with no memories of what we once were. With no memories of the sin I'd committed.

And on this night that I slept leaning against by Mistress' headboard, I dreamed of feather-light touches, gruff hushed words, and unnerving dark blue eyes that made me _feel_.

Those dreams were once my very favourite.

|I|I|

 _I normally only ever update this story after I've updated another, but all the other ones are only half done, so I'll have to get on to those and update one this week._


	12. Chapter 11 - Divulgence

Divulgence 

_Yu Kanda_

It'd been almost a week since we'd come here last.

The three of us -me, Lenalee, and the stupid rabbit- loitered out the front of the building, waiting for someone we knew to emerge. We didn't know that many Noah clansmen.

We'd shared our findings with the rest of the clan.

They were unsure about what we were supposed to do. None of us wanted the Noah to wipe out another clan of demons, so taking the Moyashi from them wasn't and option.

We were still severely lacking in information.

Both Lavi and Lenalee exhaled sharply, drawing my attention back to the building's entrance. I easily spotted the white-haired human exiting through the large glass doors. He stood out in a crowd.

The Moyashi turned right and started walking.

Lenalee touched my arm, gaze transferring back to me. "Kanda…"

"We don't have time to deal with the Moyashi," I grumbled, not looking at her. Yes, we knew the Moyashi, but he wasn't a very good choice. Aside from being completely loyal to Noah, he was basically a living doll. Using someone like that and obtaining information from them was a difficult task.

"We can still use him," Lavi said, most likely guessing my train of thought. "Road said that she took his memories because it hurt, right? That means he's not totally emotionless."

And that… was a decent point.

I understood Lavi's intentions, though. These two idiots were far too kind for their own good.

Did they forget that the Moyashi was still our enemy?

Instead of voicing the question, I just groaned. "Fine. Do whatever the fuck you want."

Their faces lit up, and the next thing I knew, they were hurrying after the human boy.

I huffed, running a hand exasperatedly through my ponytail before jogged after my soft-hearted clansmen. They were so much work.

By the time I'd caught up to them, it became apparent to me that we weren't actually approaching the kid. Which would have been fine, you know, if that hadn't meant we were basically _stalking_ the _Moyashi_.

Great.

|l|l|

The Moyashi would occasionally stop when he came to an intersection, before looking down at something in his hands and starting off again.

Right now, we were following him down a bright street, complete with colourful billboards, elegant signs and tasteful shops full of food and clothes. It was irritating listening to Lavi's constant complaints about his aching feet, which were consistently met with a scolding from Lenalee.

They both needed to quieten down before the kid noticed us all.

"But my _fee_ -"

I pushed past them with a growl, taking the closest left, where I then came face-to-face with the Moyashi.

He blinked, hand grasping the metal bar of a door. After a moment of silence, he released the bar, gloved hand falling to his side. "Can I help you?"

Had Lavi not rammed straight into my back, I would have bit out some kind of snarky response to his question. Instead, I just cursed and shoved Lavi to the side.

The Moyashi stepped away from the door, both eyes on Lavi. "Are you alright, Bookman's apprentice?"

Rubbing the shoulder I'd shoved, Lavi smiled, seeming pleasantly surprised that the Moyashi was asking about his wellbeing. "Uh… yeah… Yu-chan does this all the time."

"Oi." I glared at the Noah dog, slightly pissed that my red-headed clansman was still calling me by that shitty name. "What are you doing away from your Mistress?"

"I'm checking the new stores affiliated with the company," he said, only the smallest of pauses between my question and his answer. "Road's father requested that I be the one to do it because these are his ventures and he doesn't like entrusting these tasks to the staff."

Taking that in, I turned my gaze to the store he'd been about to enter.

The colours used were all dark reds and blacks, with thin white letters and some vine-like design forming the sign.

A clothing store, maybe.

I didn't care.

The Moyashi took a phone out of his pocket, fiddled with it, then returned it back to where he'd found it. "This was the last, but it seems to be past closing time."

"Then eat with us," Lavi suggested, almost too quickly. The idea had probably been in his head for a while now.

"I do not believe that doing so would be appropriate."

"And turning down our proposal when you have no reason to is rude," Bookman Jr. countered, words purposely formal.

Allen considered that, frozen like a buffering streamed video. After another moment of unnatural stillness and silence, he gave Lavi one curt nod. "Very well."

|l|l|

The Moyashi didn't order very much food, and he only nibbled at what was on his plate.

He caught me eyeing his meal. After a brief second, he pushed it in my direction, and asked, "Do you want it?"

I recoiled and glared, feeling disgusted at the prospect of eating that shit. "No."

"You're really skinny. Shouldn't _you_ eat?" Lenalee probed, before taking a sip of something in a disposable cup.

There was truth to her words. His clothing was probably a Small, but if hung off of his body like it was all a size too big. Really, it was painful to look at. I couldn't believe this was my first time noticing that.

"I don't need much. Not anymore." He rested a hand on his stomach, looking down at it blankly. "Shortly after joining Noah, I unintentionally went on a fast. Ever since then, my portion sizes have been gradually decreasing. I'm rarely hungry anymore."

Lenalee's face fell, and she set down her cup. "That can't be healthy."

"It most likely isn't."

After that, it went quiet as we all finished off our meals. Well, they ate -two of them did, at least-. No way was I touching anything from a fast-food joint.

I watched over the small group of three -plus me- while also keeping an eye on our surroundings; it never hurt to be cautious.

That's why I saw Lenalee shooting the kid strange looks. It seemed like she wanted to say something. It wasn't until almost three minutes later that she finally made up her mind.

"You've forgotten."

The Moyashi stayed quiet and waited for her to continue.

"We met you once before. Road told us to stay away, but…" Lenalee set down her cutlery, staring at the kid with worry. "She told us a bit about you."

"I do not understand. What is it you expect to gain from telling me this?"

"Nothing!" She assured him, waving her hands about like an idiot. "We just…"

"I know…" He spoke slowly, as if testing the words in his mouth as he spoke. "I know that I'm… odd… and broken." The Moyashi looked down at his meal, which sat before him barely even touched. "This is the best I am able to do. As long as I can function, nothing else matters."

Lavi, who'd done nothing but listen 'til now, let out a hollow, depreciating chuckle. "You'll live the rest of your life like this?"

"I am prepared to," the kid said, expression unchanging.

The demon's green eye darkened. "That's not living."

"I do not understand. I am alive, and they are alive. Is that not 'living'?"

"That's not what I meant," Lavi muttered, glowering painfully at nothing in particular.

This was irritating, and it was getting us nowhere. Still… "Wasn't there some shit you found fun before Noah made you their bitch?"

Lenalee discretely kicked me in the shin, most likely for the way I'd insensitively phrased my question.

"I…" The Moyashi frowned, but didn't seem to realise he was doing so. "I had… a lover. Back then was… as you would say… _fun_."

That was surprising. It was hard to imagine anyone wanting this lifeless ghost of a person.

My two clansmen leaned in closer, intrigue written all over their faces. The sadness was still there, though. It was in their eyes.

"What kind of person was she?" Lenalee asked.

"She?"

"Your lover," she clarified with a smile, reaching out with her hands to rest on his, only to pause when he withdrew his from the table and settled them in his lap. She moved her hands back to her own lap.

"My lover was a man, and he was… he is a demon."

Lenalee opened her mouth to speak, but shock kept the words from leaving.

"I found him quite interesting. He… could be very insensitive at times… and was rather rude… but he was good to me." The Moyashi stopped, frown disappearing. "I cannot tell you what I feel now, because I don't know. However, back then, I loved him very much."

I nudged him beneath the table with my foot, stealing back his attention. "And if you could see him again?"

The Moyashi fixed me with an unreadable look. Then again, most of his expressions were that way. "He doesn't remember. I… He should not remember."

That didn't answer the question.

"My betrayal came as a surprise to them," he went on, eyes unnervingly never leaving me. "If he were to remember, he would be very angry. He may break something, or perhaps even hurt someone. I never wished for such a thing."

"It's been seven years. Don't you think you've done enough?" Lenalee queried softly, tone of voice sombre.

"I wanted them to live, and I was willing to do anything to see that happen. I… I'm still… They still need to be protected."

"Is that really your job?"

"They would never have been captured in the first place had they not extended their kindness to me."

|I|I|

 _Merry nearly-Christmas~_

(today is Serendipity's 1st anniversary)


	13. Chapter 12 - Mistake

Mistake

 _Allen Walker_

I needed to stop talking, I really did. Without emotions, I had no way of knowing if I was spilling too much, nor did I have a way to stop myself if I was indeed doing so. Nothing felt right or wrong anymore.

There was also another problem that I was only now becoming aware of.

Even though my mind was numb, this body tingled, hyperaware of their presence.

My arms itched to wrap themselves around Lenalee's shoulders in a tight hug, my head to feel Lavi's warm hand as he mussed my hair.

My hands ached to run themselves through Yu's long hair, and my lips to be taken by his.

My body told me that it needed to be touched. By him. Then and there. Roughly and without mercy.

That was the final straw.

I shut myself down, switching back to autopilot.

They would find no differences in the way I acted because I no longer needed emotions to live. Right now, all that was necessary of me was to return to Road and ensure that the demons of The Black Order stayed as far from Noah territory as possible. I could not protect them if they insisted on meddling any further.

"It would be in your best interest if you never came back," I droned, standing up from the table and collecting what was left of my meal. "You are an enemy of Noah. The next time you decide to visit, those you meet may not be as welcoming as Road and I."

Their punishment for intruding would differ according to whom they were found by. For instance, while it was highly likely that Sheryl would kill them, Lulu Bell would opt for a week or two in the cells on the basement floor.

"You don't have to leave yet," Lenalee said, standing too. Her purple eyes were sad, but insistent. "We can keep talking to each other like this for a bit."

"We cannot."

She seemed surprised at the answer, like she'd been expecting me to say something else. "Why?"

My mouth did not open again, because there was nothing my simple mind could come up with that would satisfy them. They were good people. Lenalee, I knew, cared too much. Lavi tried to hide it, but he did too.

It would have been for the best if I had rejected their offer to eat together. Interacting with me did them no good.

"What's so wrong about what we're doing?" She asked as the other two also stood up.

I wouldn't say that it was to protect them, not when even I couldn't tell why I was doing this. I just had to.

And so, instead of speaking, I looked at them. Really, _really_ looked at them, using my power to see their innermost secrets and daily toils. This marked the second instance of me using this ability without the Earl prompting me to do so during my entire time with Noah.

It also marked the last time an incident like this would ever occur again.

While the new knowledge fluttered chaotically around in my mind, each individual piece of information trying to find its own slot inside my head for me to access at any given moment in time, I deposited my leftovers in a nearby trashcan.

There was nothing different from the last time I'd checked, aside from the conflicting feeling that both Lenalee and Lavi held in regards to me. Kanda was curious and angry, thinking ill of my weakness and unwillingness to _try_. He thought me stupid.

I stopped there as pain shot through my head, physically fighting my hand's urge to reach up and cup the area around my left eye. Since I'd only had a quick look, none of the vessels would have burst. No blood meant that they would find no evidence of my use of power.

"Uhm… You're leaving?"

"I am," I verified quietly, turning to face them just in time to see Kanda scowl at me. _Hate me._ "It's time I returned home." _Want nothing to do with me._ "Road will be wondering what's keeping me." _If you do that, you'll be fine._ "I must help prepare her evening meal."

 _You'll live._

"Then… it was nice seeing you, Allen," Lenalee said, smiling sadly, and my body tensed as she rested a hand on my shoulder. "Until next time."

I killed the speck of emotion that tried to bud to life as the warmth of her gentle touch attempted to burn its way through my numb walls and thaw out the frozen remains of what was once me.

I would not feel.

I could not afford to let myself break.

Not here. Not now.

 _Not ever._

"There won't be a next time."

|I|I|

This chapter was a lot harder to write because by the time I'd finished it, there were only three-hundred words, so I had to quickly come up with something else to include.

Sorry if it's a little short. I couldn't add any more without it looking forced.


	14. Chapter 13 - Yang

Yang

 _Yu Kanda_

The Moyashi was acting strangely.

Yeah, he was normally weird, and I already knew that his head was a bit messed up after what he'd gone through to get this far, but he just went from something vaguely resembling the average indifferent human being to a fucking robot sometime while we were talking about those demons of his. It was like whatever allowed him to converse properly had been cut away. He seemed less able to hold an extended conversation, and the way he spoke was clipped and more… blunt.

"Why won't there be a next time?" Lenalee asked, her eyebrows drawn together and her forehead creased with lines of worry. "Did we do something wrong?"

Grey eyes and tone as blank as the first time we'd met, he said, "I need to leave."

"Why won't there be a next time?" Lavi probed, repeating Lenalee's question.

The Moyashi didn't say anything. He just stood there and stared at my clansmen, lips unmoving.

Where we were, it wasn't exactly quiet. There was bustle all around us, from the clack of shoes as shoppers moved around, to the low hum of conversation as people talked to their companions or ordered their food.

Even with all that noise, to us, it was quiet. None of us spoke.

The Moyashi wouldn't answer, and my clansmen wouldn't speak _until_ he answered.

That little fact must have clicked in that head of his, because he blinked once and then… just walked away.

The three of us were stunned by his actions, so we didn't react immediately. Eventually, after realising what was happening, Lenalee tried to hurry after him.

I caught her arm and yanked her back before she could make her third step, refusing to look at the brat as he left. "Leave the rude little shit," I said, our gazes connecting. This was the kid's decision. We didn't have the right to interfere.

"Kanda, don't call him that," Lenalee chided as her eyes flicked to where we'd last seen the boy from Noah, but there was nothing behind it. She wasn't mad. She was too preoccupied to _really_ chastise me right now. "I don't… know why, but I…"

"Don't want him to leave," Lavi finished for her. "I want to stop him, but I'm not sure why that is."

Lenalee swallowed thickly, eyes wide and pained. "My heart… it _aches_."

I wouldn't say it, but I could kind of feel what they were talking about. Even though he was gone, even though I knew that he needed to go, it felt _wrong_ to let him just leave.

This was new.

I put it down to pity; we'd been told so much about his pathetic cause that it was only natural for us to feel this way.

Still, we didn't have time for this. We couldn't save everybody.

Our job right now, our _goal_ , was to somehow manage the Noah clan, before this problem became something we could no longer contain. There was a lot at stake here.

"Let's go back now," I said, and slowly released Lenalee's arm.

She didn't try to run.

Good.

We had to get back to the clan and start planning a new course of action.

The direct approach had gotten us closer to what we wanted; we had more information, and now knew that it was the Moyashi's unidentified ability which had served as a key contributory factor in regards to the expansion of Noah.

Now we just had to stop them from growing.

"There's still time, isn't there?" Lenalee tried, purple eyes now pleading. "Allen could-"

"He won't come around. Those demons of his are too important to him. He won't betray the Noah clan for us."

He was too broken for us to fix anyway.

Lavi and Lenalee quietened down after that, exchanging glum glances. They hated this and I knew it.

If it were up to them, if one of those two were the next in line for leadership of the clan, they'd be by the Moyashi's side in a heartbeat, offering their aid and helping him get his miserable life back on track.

They would waste their time on that and ultimately put us all at risk.

My companions were too emotional, and someone ruled by their emotions would not be fit to be the head.

That's why I hadn't let them do this alone, instead tagging along with them to ensure that I'd be there to rein them in if need be. And oh how right that decision had been.

I didn't even want to imagine the result of what would have occurred if I hadn't been present here today. Or any of the other days we'd met up with a demon from the Noah clan, really.

It would have become one big mess, no doubt.

Our small group remained in silence, heading back outside to locate the nearest train station when, finally, Lavi asked, "Are we calling a clan meeting?"

"We are."

|I|I|

Another short chapter… But this one is leading up to something fun~

Anyways, I have a poll going on my profile which basically asks you guys what story I should start after I finish one of the five I'm writing now.


	15. Chapter 14 - Yin

Yin

 _Allen Walker_

Road pulled out the eighth dress of the hour and held it against her body, staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. "What about this one?"

"Whatever you want, Road," I said, standing on her right, my eyes solely on her.

"Okay, first off, that doesn't help me." She looked at me, sighed, and then threw the dress, which landed a foot from her bed. "It's a party. I have to look my best."

I moved to pick up the dress, before setting it neatly down on the covers of the bed. "I understand."

"Then say something other than ' _whatever you want_ '," Road groaned unhappily, and I noted that the mimicking of my words had been too high pitched to be my voice. Perhaps she was coming down with something.

I would have to have one of the Noah clan's resident demon nurses take a look at her as soon as possible.

Returning to my original place at her right, I asked, "What do you want me to say?"

At that, Road puffed out her cheeks like one of those inflating fish and yanked another dress from the depths of her large wardrobe. "I _want_ you to tell me which dress looks nice on me."

"Master Sheryl ordered them all for you personally," I said, repeating what her father had told me. "He has made certain that they all suit you."

That earned me a dress in the face.

"Papa has weird taste," Road haughtily informed me as I pulled the beige material away from my face and placed it with the other dresses. "Just because he thinks something suits me doesn't mean it actually does."

Road, I remembered, had told me this before. She liked to choose her own clothes. "You've worn many dresses to other parties. Wear those again."

Her face twisted with horror at the suggestion, mouth falling open.

My numb, torpid brain reviewed my words, yet found nothing in them that warranted this kind of reaction.

"I _can't_ wear something I've worn _before_ ," she hissed lowly, stressing certain words, the horror still present in her features.

Though I did not understand, I said nothing against it. All decisions were best left to other people.

I couldn't argue anyway; I didn't know how to.

Road went to get another dress, when she stopped and turned to face me, her purple eyes sparkling.

"Are we going shopping?" I asked, memory linking that look to similar ones she'd worn in the past when the topic of shopping for candy and clothes was brought up.

She nodded and ran for her purse on the bedside table. There were at least three hours until the stores closed, so she would want to be quick.

Road wished to look her current very best for this party, even though it was only a company one.

Master Earl would be inviting the human corporations he was affiliated with, along with some demon ones allied to the clan. Noah had many demon allies across the globe, though only those in the country would appear for this, if for no other reason than to prove their unwavering loyalty to Noah.

The Black Order demons would not be there since they still firmly opposed Noah.

That was good. They would get hurt if they continued to poke their noses where it did not belong.

It had been over a week since I had seen any Black Order demons, the last time being at that place we'd visited for an afternoon lunch.

That was also good. Interacting with me was very dangerous for them.

They could not be allowed to remember.

We would all live our separate lives: theirs with their families, and mine with Noah.

It was the only way for all of us to stay alive.

"Let's go," Road whined, already back at the door.

I would have responded, had my Mistress not frozen, a soft frown taking over her expression.

Her frilly pink purse fell from her fingers, hitting the ground with a light ' _thud_ '.

She touched her head, and winced in what appeared to be pain. "This… It's…"

"Road?"

She snapped back to attention, and gave me a sharp look, like there was something wrong with me.

I would have to have one of the Nurses look at her after all. This was not normal for Road. "Are you sick?"

She winced again, before reaching up onto her tiptoes to pat my head. "I'm not," she told me, smiling and clearly in pain. "Wait here for a while. Apparently there's something I need to do."

"You are hurt," I informed her as she patted me. "You should not leave the room. I'll call a nur-"

"Allen," she said, withdrawing her hand, and I fell silent. "I am fine."

She was not fine. She was in pain.

"Stay," Road ordered once more, knowing I would have to comply. "Don't leave this room."

The only way I would be able to leave now without her permission was if the Earl summoned me. He did not do that very often.

For the first time in over a week, I did not know what to do. The Millennium Earl would want her well, but I could not go against Road's commands

When my Mistress reached the door, she briefly glanced at me. "Thank you for caring."

With that, she was gone, leaving me alone in her bedroom.

After waiting ten minutes, I moved on to something more productive than waiting for Road to return: I cleaned her room.

I smoothed down the sheets, then began to deal with the dresses. The first one was still in my hands when someone banged loudly on the door.

Without bothering to be let in, Mimi rushed in, left cotton-candy blue pigtail loose and drooping. Seeing me here instead of our Lady, she groaned. "Where's Miss Kamelot?"

I put one of the dresses back onto its hanger. "She's not here."

"I can see that," she snapped. "Aren't you her stalker? Why aren't you with her?"

"She told me to stay here," I explained, only now noticing the demoness' franticness. "Did something happen?"

"There are intruders in the building. Sheryl sent me here to verify Lady Road's whereabouts."

My hands stilled, and I set the dress back down on Road's bed.

 _Intruders_.

I had no evidence, no grounds for it, but I _knew_.

It was _them_.

|I|I|

I don't know if anyone picked up on it, but I'll explain it now just in case anyone is confused: The thirteen core Noah demons all have their own eye colours, but when they use their powers (like Road did in _'First' Encounters – Continuation_ ), their eyes go gold/amber.


	16. Chapter 15 - Blunder

Blunder

 _Yu Kanda_

The clan had unanimously decided that the next plan of action would be a more forceful one, and it had been made on the basis that the Noah clan wouldn't kill us. No reports of murder had reached our ears.

This meant that _our_ clan would be able to bail us out of jail on the off chance that things took a turn for the worst and we were captured. That was why, exactly two days after the last meeting, Lenalee, Lavi and I were all exiting a maintenance closet a little after hours in Noah's main building.

We located the file room by using the building's blue prints Lavi had managed to get his hands on. I didn't ask how or where he'd found them.

The file room was filled with hundreds, maybe thousands of cardboard boxes on shelves in rows, all with little white labels on the fronts.

"I'll take A-I," I told Lenalee in a hushed voice. "The Rabbit does J-R, you do S-Z."

Lenalee nodded and scurried off to her assigned rows.

Seventeen minutes later, I was skimming through records of business deals and copies of contracts. There was nothing really of use here. There was no blackmail material, no information on demons, and no explanation as to why Noah kept expanding.

It was infuriating.

"Hey, look at this," Lenalee called softly, though it sounded loud in the otherwise silent room.

Lavi and I found her kneeling down beside a low shelf in the W-Z aisle. She held a thin file in her hand, and one of the boxes beside her was open, that flap labelling it [A.W.]

"It's Allen's file," she whispered, offering me the folder.

I didn't take it from her. We had no time left to be worrying about that brat. Besides, I doubted he wanted us interfering any more than we already had.

"A demon had taken the boy in and adopted him," spoke a young girl's voice, tone low and steady.

Lenalee flinched so bad that she dropped the file, which flopped loudly against the faux stone floor. Her head whipped around, eyes in search of the voice's owner.

I was the first to spot Road, who stood close to the aisle's entrance. Her face was expressionless.

"This demon was not blinded by greed as all the others had been. He loved the human child."

I… remembered the story. It was the one she'd been telling us before. The one with a three-year gap.

The one about that stupid emotionless Moyashi.

Road took a small step forward. "They were attacked two years later. The kind demon was dying, and not wanting his darling child to live out his life in hell, he cast a seal on the boy." She moved closer still, slowly drawing nearer to our group of three. "The poor child thought his father was trying to murder him in the confusion. He thought that everything up until then had been a lie, and his hair turned white from the pain and shock of it all."

Lenalee's eyes were shiny and moist, on the verge of spilling their tears.

When Road was close enough, she bent down and grasped the file on the floor with her small hands, carefully picking it up. "When he woke up in the hospital a few days later, he found that demons were no longer after him. He would walk right by them and that was that." Road gently placed the file back in its correct box and shot the cardboard lid. "And then he started school. He tried to live a normal human life. However… the world was too cruel a place." She frowned, not looking away from the box. "He had trouble making friends. His appearance made humans shun him."

He _did_ look weird. It made sense that humans would have avoided him.

"But then… eventually… he met those demons."

The people he was doing this for. The people he'd let himself be broken for.

"And in the end," Road said, purple eyes flashing with hatred when she finally looked at us, "it was them who lead him to this. If they had just stayed away…"

"Well _we're_ not here for the brat," I retorted irately, on edge from having been found by a Noah. "We just want information."

Road didn't speak, instead scowling at the ground.

"We'd don't give a damn about him."

Scowl still in place, she tugged at the fabric of her dress. "You've already been spotted," Road informed us quietly. "They know you're here."

I tensed, and so did Lavi and Lena.

Road frustratedly sighed. "You won't make it out."

My group bolted for the door.

 _Fuck fuck fuck!_

This wasn't good.

There weren't that many cameras in the Staff Only sections of the building in case humans ever needed to view the footage and found something they weren't supposed to, so we'd thought that all we would have to do was avoid the few that _were_ there and that would be it.

We should have considered the possibility of having been noticed when sneaking in to a heavily-populated clan HQ had been almost too easy.

Lenalee twisted the doorhandle and shot out of the room while I followed close behind, Lavi taking the rear.

"Hurry," I ordered, louder this time. If Noah already knew we were here, there was no real reason for us to be quiet anymore.

Lavi's response was a grunt.

I went to snap at the idiot and order him to hurry up again, but when I glanced back, the redhead was on the ground.

There was a thump, and I nearly tripped over Lenalee's limp body.

Hissing, I stopped and looked around for the attacker, quickly scanning the area as I stood protectively by my female clansmen.

The hallway doors were all shut, and there was no way I wouldn't be able to see if an-

|l|l|

My wrists were behind my back, something cold, metal and merciless circling both of them and keeping my arms pinned. I cracked open my eyes to find Tyki Mikk standing on the other side of a set of bars, and I winced as my head throbbed.

"Sleeping beauty awakens," the Noah demon observed, his gold eyes gleaming.

Despite my current state, I had the strongest urge to maim the Portuguese bastard. "Screw you."

"Hm." Tyki smiled creepily, before his eyes roved up and down my body. "I can't say that idea interests me. You're not my type."

Okay, now I just wanted to fucking kill him.

Taking a breath to calm myself -because I was the highest ranking demon of my clan present so I'd better damn well make sure that I kept myself in check-, I eventually identified my location as a cell, and a short assessment of my surroundings told me that Lenalee and Lavi were sharing the cell to my right.

"This is where we keep the demons that get in our way," Tyki said conversationally, regaining my wayward attention. "This place won't look familiar to you, but you've been somewhere like this before. The Earl had it modelled to look exactly the same as the one back home." He gestured to a large broadsword I hadn't seen earlier that rested against the far wall behind him. It was dark with a grey cross down the centre. "That's the Earl's. We only use it on… special occasions."

The asshole was trying to intimidate and confuse us.

"You won't kill us," I growled, but didn't struggle. Cuffs would not break that easily.

"Is that what you think?"

"There are no records of Noah ever having killed an enemy in the past," Lavi said, factually reciting one of the key notes from the last clan meeting. Memorisation _was_ his specialty.

Tyki grinned as through finding something funny in the redhead's words. "You _do_ realise that we have someone on our side with the ability to alter memories, correct?"

My chest went cold, and I saw the colour drain from my companions' faces. They both quickly looked at me, panic in their eyes.

I hated when they did that.

|I|I|

 _I became very reluctant to write this once someone I knew IRL informed me that they were reading this._

 _But don't worry; I'll definitely finish this story. I've already got the whole thing planned out. Now I just need to write…_


	17. Chapter 16 - Unconventional Recovery

Unconventional Recovery

 _Allen Walker_

Everything was on the line now that they'd returned. The safety of those of the Black Order clan had always been my highest priority; if they did something as reckless as this, it was my duty to make sure they got out of it alive.

While I resolved to think and act for myself just this once, an unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling began budding to life within me.

It was fear, and it was small, and kept nagging at me, eating away at me until my trembling legs gave out. I fell to the ground, clutching at the fabric over my beating heart.

"Allen?!" Mimi was at my side before I had time to blink, kneeling and checking me over. "What the heck is going on?!"

I couldn't give her barely enough attention, not when my heart felt as if there was something stabbing at it, piercing it again and again. The pain was unbearable, but I really couldn't afford this right now.

Gasping, I struggled to my feet, using Mimi as my support.

That was when I noticed the presence of another feeling within me, one pure and raw and as painful as it was blissful.

 _Can't deal. Stop. No time._

I took a deep breath to steady myself, pushing it all down-

I quashed it-

I locked it away-

I'd have to face it later. That, and the torrent of emotions I'd been hiding from for all these years. I did not care if they swallowed me whole. I was not important.

But _they_ were.

I would force myself through this for them, because they were my everything, and I would continue to protect them with my worthless little life until the day I died.

That was what had been running through my stupid little head way back when I'd first signed the Millennium Earl's contract, and though I did not know for sure, I was almost certain that it was what drove my body forward now, despite the crushing pain undergoing it. I went against everything, pushing past Mimi to leave that room, even though Road had expressly ordered me not to.

In my senseless numb search I ignored the demons hurrying around the building in groups of two or more that were abuzz with chatter, everyone taking about the foolhardy intruders who'd dared enter Noah's HQ. Apparently the trespassers had already been detained.

I was ready to enter the elevator and take a lift up to the Earl's floor when the doors opened, revealing an agitated Road, who froze the moment she saw me.

Habit triggered an automatic bow upon seeing her. "My Lady."

"Where are you going?" Road demanded, and as I straightened back up I noticed the strange expression on her face. "You shouldn't be here." She grabbed my arm before I could ask my own question and pulled me back down the hallway I'd come, oddly strong for someone her size. Then again, demons were stronger than humans. "I told you to stay in my room!" There was something wrong with her voice. "Why did you disobey me?!"

I dug my heels into the ground and wrenched my arm free from her grip, which in turn caused her to stop and round on me, surprise taking over her features.

"Alle-"

"Is it them?" I asked, and it never once occurred to me that I had just interrupted my Mistress. My mind was too focussed on locating the Black Order demons to worry about much else.

I had to get there in time.

She dropped her head, the angle of the lighting and her unusually limp hair hiding a decent portion of her face. "What would you do if it is?" Her tone this time was low, so low that I almost didn't hear her speak.

"I would go to them."

Road's mouth contorted, suggesting that she was scowling at my words. "Why?"

"Because I have to," I said, answering in earnest. I just _had to_ go.

She raised her head, revealing her red-rimmed purple eyes and wet cheeks. "Please." Road reached out and grasped my left hand. "Stay."

"Where are they?"

Her dark brows scrunched up though she tried for a smile, tugging my hand to her cheek. "They don't care about you. _I_ care."

 _Oh._

She was hurt. She was in pain.

"Where are they?" I repeated robotically, not allowing myself to become side-tracked or lose sight of my goal. I knew she cared, but I couldn't care for _her_ right now.

 _I'm sorry, Mistress Road._

Road didn't speak for a while, instead simply staring at me. She eventually released my hand though, expression becoming as blank as mine. "The basement," she said, and pushed herself up to wrap her arms around me and press her wet face into my neck. "So… be safe."

I wouldn't promise her anything.

"Goodbye, Road." It was unlikely that I'd ever get to say that to her again.

There would be reckoning. The Millennium Earl would not be kind to me just because I was his pet human. Possible punishments included imprisonment, 24-hour surveillance, torture or, if he was mad enough and thought I was more trouble than my ability was worth, death.

And yet I was willing to suffer any of these consequences if it meant they survived.

 _W…illing?_

I swallowed that thought and pulled away from Road. Now was not the time to be indulging my thoughts and newly-discovered feelings; the only thing that would get them out of this was _action_.

Road stepped away, never once looking away as I entered the elevator and selected the 'B' for basement, our gazes only breaking once the doors closed on us.

I was sure that I had not ever been to the basement floor of this building before, and yet when I arrived it somehow all appeared so familiar to me. There were two corridors, one of which I currently stood in that extended horizontally past both my left and right. The other corridor went straight ahead, ending ten metres away with a bland grey wall.

There was commotion from one of the stray doors to the elevator's immediate left. I tested the handle and found the door unlocked

Peeking through a slight opening I made between the door and its frame, I found Tyki, who was talking, while Lenalee, Lavi and Yu were all cuffed with hands behind their backs in cells. There was a weapon leaning against a wall. I recognised it as the Millennium Earl's broadsword, his treasured deadly demonic antique. It only hurt demons, cleaving through their supernatural essence and leaving only scars on their weakened bodies.

At first I decided to only watch, but then Tyki opened the door to Yu's cell.

Yu stood, slowly exiting the cell, wary and untrusting as I remembered. That was good. He hadn't changed.

Tyki moved back and hefted up the broadsword, displaying it for the Black Order demons to see.

The alarm on their faces was enough to make me _move_.

There was a short delay before he thrust the sword forward, Tyki's lips moving as he spoke words that were too far away for me to make out.

" _Don't do that_!"

To be truly honest, it didn't even register to me that I had been the one to yell. I didn't know what was happening until after searing agony erupted across my chest and Tyki's face was an inch from mine.

Bewildered by my own actions, I shakily raised my right hand, tentatively touching the blade buried in me that spanned from my shoulder down to my lower stomach. My fingers met the cool steel and I winced as I felt the skin be cut, but aside from the pain there was not even a single drop of blood that could be used as evidence to support the notion that I had been harmed.

|I|I|

 _I feel like I'm picking on Allen a lot lately, and I don't just mean in this particular story._


	18. Chapter 17 - Dog

Dog

 _Yu Kanda_

My hands were behind my back and I could feel the cool metal of my restraints digging into my wrists. The cells we were in were grey and confining, and for some reason Lenalee and the dumbass Rabbit shared the one next to me while I remained alone. I took that to mean he was aware of the difference between us.

The smug face of that Noah bastard was on the other side of the bars, a taunting sight I could have gone without. "Like the accommodations?"

His roundabout way of mocking up made my blood boil and my hatred for his group grow.

He tugged the heavy-looking barred door to my cell, and it surprisingly swung soundlessly open. It wasn't locked. "It was oiled recently," he explained, as if I actually cared about the state of his underground sex dungeon. "This is the only one that's unlocked though. You can come out you know. I don't bite." He smirked and arched a brow. "Much."

Lavi, concerned and wary, glanced at Lenalee, who looked incredibly frustrated and just about ready to do some biting of her own. And by 'biting', I meant that the young woman probably wanted to tear off his arms with her teeth and beat him to death with them.

I chose to make a move and exit the cell, taking note of the decorative sword propped innocently against the wall behind him.

Seeing me eye it, Tyki's smirk grew as he moved one step back and reached for the blade. "It's nice, isn't it?" He gripped it with both hands and pointed it at me. "The design I mean."

I tensed and nearly swore, instincts telling me to retreat back to the safety of the cell. I didn't want to be facing this shithead without a weapon.

His gold eyes flicked briefly to the side, a small grin finding its place on his lips. "So this is your decision."

The next movement as he thrust his weapon forward was sudden and fast, despite the sword's bulky size. There was no time for me to evade. That chilling realisation was just going through my head when someone yelled and a body shoved me out of the way. I recognised the head of white hair that faced me on trembling legs and a sword through his stomach.

The Moyashi was staring incredulously at the sword, like he couldn't believe he'd been impaled. "Ah… I-it…" He looked confused, the picture of a child with no understanding of what had transpired or what was going on around him.

I retreated back to my cell to observe, knowing full well that I couldn't use this opportunity to escape; those two idiots of mine were still locked in, and I didn't know where the keys to their prison were hidden.

The Noah with the mole stepped back, watching with sharp eyes as blood flowed from the white-haired brat's lips. Eventually though, he pulled the sword from the Moyashi's body, leaving the kid to flop almost lifelessly to the ground. He tutted, letting the sword also fall and clatter to the cement as his gaze raked over the figure on the floor. "Shounen, why'd you get in the way?" The man nudged Allen with his foot. "The Millennium Earl will not be pleased. You're his prize. When he finds out about this, do you know how much trouble I'll be in?" Tyki crouched down, looming over the kid's prone body. "You know, you're pretty lucky. This is a sword for demons, so you won't die from being stabbed. The only reason it harmed you is because you have a preternatural ability."

The kid didn't response. A slight shift and a shudder as he breathed in and out was the only indicator that he was still alive.

"I'll finish this quickly then. The boy needs to be checked." Tyki Mikk straightened back up with a grunt, his skin greying when his focused returned to me. He stepped over the Sprout's body and stood at the mouth of my cell. "You've caused enough problems. I think it's best if I got rid of you already."

"Stop." The Moyashi's shaky hand reached out and seized Tyki's ankle, proving that the kid wasn't as incapacitated as I'd first thought.

"You're still awake?" Tyki muttered, his brows drawing together as he frowned and nudged the kid's hand away with his foot. "You're body isn't in the state for you to be interfering."

Instead of heeding the warning, the Sprout pushed himself up into a half-sitting position, his face white and strained. " _Don't_."

I kept quiet, somewhat shocked when it clicked that this was the first real emotion I'd heard him use. He wasn't acting like a doll right now.

"The how about I play with you instead?" Tyki teased, that disgusting smirk of his returning with a coy edge. "Well? You or them?"

"Me." The brat didn't hesitate, not even for an instant. "Don't… Don't touch them… Play with me instead, Master Tyki."

The Noah wasted no time yanking the kid up, shoving him against the side wall two metres away and moving in for a kiss.

I couldn't really see a lot, but I did see silver eyes go wide with actual emotion. I could hear it, too – the wet sound of that asshole's tongue invading and having its way with the Sprout's mouth. To be brutally honest, I was repulsed. Pissed, too, only I didn't know why. Maybe it because Noah's dog just let it happen, not uttering a single word of protest.

The Sprout's hands hung by his sides and his two legs trembled. He was exhausted. His body had been impaled with a broadsword, and now he was being forced to make out with the psychopathic demon who'd injured him in the first place. This kid's life was shit.

After a while, the Noah released his prey and let the kid slide down the wall, his face expressing a fuckton of disappointment. His body sagged with a sigh as he pushed his own loose wavy tresses back with a hand. "Just as I thought. There's no fight in you."

On the floor, the Sprout panted softly and rubbed his mouth with the back of a gloved fist, staining the white fabric red with his blood. "I apologise… Maser Tyki," he wheezed, stiffly clutching his chest and bowing his head.

"This is a lot for just one day," the Noah mused, though he didn't seem as sickeningly upbeat as before. "We've had a break-in, people reading our confidential files, and then this little one's act of treason."

"Wasn't… treason." The Sprout's body remained still, and his voice was small. "I'm… still loyal… to Noah."

Like a flipped switch, Tyki Mikk's entire demeanour changed. He coldly gestured to my cell and said, "Get in." His gold eyes were dark. "And if you can't walk, then _crawl_."

The Moyashi did exactly as he was told, slowly dragging himself across the floor and leaving a smudged trail of red that had dripped from his mouth onto the cement below. From what I could see, the bleeding didn't seem to be so severe anymore; the Noah _had_ said that the effects wouldn't be as bad because he was human.

By the time the kid was halfway to my cell, Tyki Mikk's patience was apparently gone. He grabbed the Sprout by one of those thin arms and pulled him up.

I barely caught that kid when he was thrown in, only just saving him from hitting the ground for a third time today. Now that he was this close and I could feel him through his oversized clothes, I knew for sure that his body wasn't right for someone his age. It was too small and thin. He was wasting away.

The Moyashi gasped and then groaned, pain flitting across his face for an instant before it disappeared.

I started at the sound of my cell door slamming shut, and inwardly cursed when he locked it with a set of keys that had suddenly appeared in his hands.

Tyki pocketed the keys and retrieved his stupid Earl's sword. "You'll live. If you're good, I'll send someone down to check on you."

When the Noah left, I was prepared to snap at the Moyashi for pulling such a stunt, but then he looked up and our eyes met, and I found his were filled with pain and _shame_.

|I|I|

 _Man, I was stuck on this chapter for a while._


End file.
